PILLOW TALK

January 14th, 2013

2013 feels so 2012 and not like the future at all.

Apologies for looking and sounding like a broken record, but I haven’t had many ‘blog-able’ ideas or much time to work on or even clean up the house. Sorry about that house, all my supplies are piled everywhere and my brain energy has been consumed with getting the CAMP shop running and not with your maintenance. Also, you look awful. Perhaps being ambitiously naive, I fully expected to have been launched and chugging along with everything about mid January; despite certain obvious clues like say this half decade long and ongoing renovation. Unexpected material delays as well as tackling peripheral details like packaging (oh yeah, duh) have pretty much made a mockery of my plans and pushed things back.

So, February-ish. Lets say then?

In the meantime, I’ve been stockpiling vintage textiles and making pillows with much help from my sister. Above are a few samples of the latest Saltillos as well as a peek at the Ruffian, a pillow made from vintage surplus army canvas with a rough cut and hefty surged edge detail. Yeah, it’s a pretty manly pillow.

BEA BREAK.

OK, I am a one woman tornado of making things and interweb wrangling, but hope to be back working on the house and posting better stuff here soon.

In the meanwhile, any sweet advice / tips for the CAMP shop (our independent retail in general)? What do love / hate when you buy stuff online? I mean, like I despise loose packing peanuts but love opening things which are ready to use immediately (*basically not needing an extra pillow insert, special bulb or whatever in order to start using it).

Anyways. Thanks.

I can’t tell you how much I’ve been loving designing and making everything and how completely impatient I am to get this whole thing rolling.

53 Comments

planktonfisher on
01/14/2013:

I love everything about your house – and I also love how everything started – i.e. not to buy something which is more than 100$. I already observed the fantasy prices in your fab sale and now in the camp shop – almost everything is really expensive. too expensive for me – even though it´s beautiful and handmade. I´m sorry, but to me, your spirit of making a beautiful home with cheaply thrifted design pieces got lost.

THE BRICK HOUSE on
01/14/2013:

Yes, these things are not priced like a thrift store or affordable for every budget. If I priced as low as thrift stores do, I couldn’t cover my basic costs of production and the shop would fail immediately. The way I price isn’t thoughtless, it takes time and reflects the overhead costs, labor, packaging, shipping, wholesale breaks, taxes, ect. and is commiserate with current market pricing of similar independent shops with handmade products. It’s not easy or frivolous – its a difficult balance of many factors.

I have always said you have either time or money.

I usually have time.

So, either go ahead and spend the time to find or DIY that thing you want for cheap or pony up and pay the retail price to compensates the person who put their time and effort to make into making that thing available for you.

Time. Money. You gotta spend one.

This shop came out of looking for certain things I wanted, not finding them, experimenting with how to make whatever it was myself and then realizing that maybe other people might be looking for things like I was and maybe they’d like what I was doing. We all like a deal, but I cant price so low that it is unsustainable. Wanting to cover overhead costs to keep going and growing and needing to cover my personal expenses to keep living and designing isn’t an unreasonable or unusual goal. This is like any other job and everyone doing a job deserves to be compensated for their time and hard work. Even me.

Tove on
01/14/2013:

Hi Morgan, so glad you’re back! I’m a long time reader, and this is the first time I have commented, but I just had to say that I think the things you have offered in your shop are beautiful AND reasonably priced considering they are, as you say, handmade with love. Just didn’t want your first comments of the new year to be negative, especially about something you have obviously worked so hard on.

Now, onto online shopping! I love online shopping, and always appreciate nice packaging and clear communication from the seller. The thing I don’t like is paying extortionate shipping! I’m in Australia and it sometimes seems to cost a fortune to get things shipped here, especially from the US! But not always, which is kind of weird.

Marije on
01/14/2013:

Although your products would be out of reach for me too because of the pricing, I do see that there is no way to produce your items in a cheaper way (and well, that’s what the internet is for. Looking at pictures of fancy stuff you can’t afford). Making something nice just costs you loads of time, and I agree with your point about having time or money.

About online shopping, I am always a bit nervous about ordering something online, especially when it is from another country (I am from the Netherlands) and/or from a small vendor. So I am really, really pleased if a vendor keeps me updated, sends me a tracking code and gives clear information about when I can expect my item. Of course, mysteries happen when shipping an item abroad but I like it when effort is being made to ensure safe transport.

I’m going to echo what others have said – shipping to countries other than the US can be expensive (I’m in Canada). Sometimes that’s unavoidable, but as an international customer I appreciate when shipping costs vary in price with the size of the package, rather than one (expensive) flat rate. Pro tip: if you’re shipping to Canada or Mexico, the recipients will not pay import duties because your products are made in North America. Just be sure to clearly indicate “Made in America” on the box!

Also – take great pictures of your products, from all angles, and include larger versions. There is nothing more annoying than an “Enlarge” button that just shows the same size photo. (I see you’re good on this front!) It would also be nice to have a picture of the Daily Pill necklace on a person, to see how it hangs.

Kara on
01/14/2013:

Morgan, lovely stuff! Your prices are spot on and I look forward to picking up a few pieces. Unfortunately, there are a lot of people who at first wanted to buy cheap stuff cheaply, and after seeing things fall apart, now want higher quality items cheaply. Your readers saw you get amazing things for very little money – but the sacrifice was all the time you spent acquiring these things. In Terms of time and energy they were quite expensive.

Whenever someone complains about my prices, I explain to them that I am not a Chinese factory.
Stick by your prices. Not everyone will be able to afford them. Your response to the first commenter was perfect. Save it and read it any time you start to doubt your prices.

i am so impressed and excited by this new adventure of yours and really can’t wait for it to launch—everything looks amazing, you should be so so proud of your work and allow yourself to guiltlessly price accordingly. and always, always, love Bea breaks.

audrey on
01/14/2013:

Hi Morgan,
I’ve managed a small business for more than a decade now, and it never ceases to amaze me that many, MANY consumers simply do not understand the ever-rising costs of doing business. It’s so important that we continue to suport our independent retailers – and especially our local ones – it keeps our economy thriving.
Ranting aside, I’m so happy that you have found your bliss! Everyone should be so lucky to enjoy their work.
To answer your question though: when I shop online, I like simple, recyclable packaging and I LOVE when I get a special note from the seller (like many do on Etsy) but I realize that takes a lot of time.
I think you have all the skill and instinct to make a great businessperson and your readers will support you. Good luck!

THE BRICK HOUSE on
01/14/2013:

christine – thanks! I’m still shooting all the product images and plan to release them during the official launch. The current ones are simple placeholders, but I’ll have all angles, finishes, installation shots, jewelry on people for scale, ect. once the site is fully up. I’m a big scale person and online shops can sometimes make it difficult to tell how big things are, so I’m focused on including installation and scale shots for sure.

Also, for now I think shipping might be limited to the US – in particular all the lamps.

What do I love about buying stuff on-line? I love when it is packaged simply yet attractively with very little waste. This holiday season, I bought and received several pieces from small designers’ on-line shops and was sad to find how much waste was included in the shipments. It was all beautiful waste – letterpress business cards, postcards, lots of other branding items, wrapping paper, boxes inside boxes, ribbon, etc. – but so wasteful, too. Keeping the wrapping/shipping items simple and recyclable is a big plus for me as a buyer.

Personally I think independent retailers are kicking the butts of national chains! I ordered custom jewelry that was delivered within a week, and two in-stock pillows I ordered from Macy’s back in early December (to use up a gift card) are currently listed as “shipping around January 26th”. The competition has weeded out most dishonest/incompetent sellers. It’s also meant that prices for handmade are shockingly close to those of mass-produced items these days, and so I have much respect for the hard work and slim profit margins of the indie seller.

mary s. on
01/14/2013:

Hi Morgan- Can you please have the CAMP site up by Valentine’s Day so I can send my husband to the right place for a gift? Please and thank you! Or March-I have a birthday..or April Fool’s Day will work. No pressure.

I think your prices are very reasonable for handmade/quality pieces.

Also..your amazing indigo fabric that I spied on instagram-please tell me that you will be making pillows with that material? Please.

stephenny on
01/14/2013:

Morgan! Keep up the good work, sending loads of encouragement! xo from Redlands

Morgan, I think it is killer what your are doing.
KEEP MAKING NICE STUFF!

Shilo on
01/14/2013:

The biggest thing for me when shopping online is clear photos of all sides of the item, the item in context for scale, and dimensions/materials listings.

Obviously, you’ve got all that worked out, but it’s shocking how many places sell items where even after reading everything and looking at the photos there is ambiguity about the back or sides or size.

Also, I’ll pay more for something with free shipping. Companies that sink the shipping costs into the purchase price make a lot off of me and I’m sure I’m not alone in that.

I love it when online shops have great, clear pictures. And the pictures you have in the CAMP shop are just wonderful!

I want to third/fourth what others have said about nervousness ordering from small shops online – and the way to combat that is to communicate! Email confirmation of an order and postal tracking code are must-haves.

Also, I order from independent merchants when I can because I enjoy supporting them and I enjoy the unique and personal experience. So, that is a plus that you can leverage in your communications with your clients – they are buying from you because they like you and what you have to offer!

Morgan, I’m so excited you’re doing this. I launched Fringe Supply Co. as a pop-up on Big Cartel during the holidays, and loved the platform. (Am currently tweaking and restocking and will be reopening soon.) I’d be happy to compare notes if you like — just drop me an email.

i sell on etsy both vintage and handmade lights and other goods. i’ve often been overwhelmed by pricing and packaging. in terms of handmade, things take time and just like you said it’s either time or money. there is also the cost of resources and the fact that you’re paying someone for a skill you don’t have or don’t want to have. for packaging i try to keep things simple and minimal. it’s etsy so i feel like it’s a world that is forgiving of packaging to an extent. i use bubble wrap and wrap each item in kraft paper then i try to reuse newspaper for padding. for something like this though it feels like you’ve got to be more “organized”. so, no using used paper for repackaging? i dunno’ it’s a bummer because packaging is another cost that adds to the overhead and also can be quite wasteful. because you’re shipping the same item over and over finding something that works is pretty important i think. i will be interested to see what you come up with. perhaps the old blog is taking us into the world of running a small business? i like-y. but, if you didn’t think about that before then i get 10% of the top ;P

I love your offerings and really appreciate that you want things to work straight out of the box. I also respect you as a maker and I understand your pricing and support it. My only problem is that I am allergic to feathers and can’t handle a down insert. I’d love to have an option of a good quality down-alternative pillow insert or a pillow cover only.

When I first started reading this blog a few years back, I always thought it would be nice if there was a shop also. The prices are good. For wholesale with department stores you will not get 50% of retail so you need a good starting price.

I’m sure west elm will be knocking on your door any minute.

MJ on
01/14/2013:

Work out your system for international shipping in the near future? Us international buyers don’t mind a bit of back-and-forth to get a shipping quote, if it s direct from the maker. With that in mind, the option to take the cushion as cover-only is also good (as well as for vegans who don’t want feathers in a pillow). All the best with it, you have put together a nice selection of considered objects.

MJ on
01/14/2013:

Work out your system for international shipping in the near future? Us international buyers don’t mind a bit of back-and-forth to get a shipping quote, if it s direct from the maker. With that in mind, the option to take the cushion as cover-only is also good (as well as for those who don’t want or can’t have feathers in a pillow). All the best with it, you have put together a nice selection of considered objects.

CindyTellsMe on
01/14/2013:

Classy response to that troll up top. As a new owner of a fixer-upper house, I am really stoked about both CAMP and the prices for what appear to be utterly pitch-perfect light fixtures.

My big concern with buying house stuff online is, what if it doesn’t look right? Can I return it and will that be a big hassle? I’m not sure if you’ll be accepting returns on fixtures, but if you do, it would help to hear that returning stuff is NBD.

Also, I’m about to redo a formerly horrifying closet with your pipe shelves. I can’t tell you how awesome and generous it is of you to have taken the time to figure these things out, and explain and document them, and host them on a pretty website, for free. I’m really genuinely happy to support you by paying prices that fairly reflect your time and effort and expertise. Thanks, lady!

CINDYTELLSME, well hey, I never thought about returns. I guess it would be fine as long as everything is sent back in the same condition it went out in.

Also, I never thought about the down insert allergy issue. I imagine I could have some polyfill inserts available and will switch them out if requested.

Jen on
01/15/2013:

“Classy response to that troll up top.”

Cindytellsme, are you really referring Planktonfisher’s comment as one of a troll? He was very polite in his comment and just repeated what Morgan herself as said (bragged a little?) about on this blog and in interviews on other sites.

I think the pricing on her reselling vintage items raised eyebrows because of that comment and also the way she wrote about her finds.

To me, sometimes her blog posts would come across as:

“Look what I got bitches! Saw a mies van der rohe chair in almost perfect condition being sold on side of road for $50. I told him it had scratches and I got him down to $5. BOOM! It retails for $5000, WHAT AN IDIOT! Now I’m going to resell it for $3000 at my sale. BOOM!”

Am I looking in a mirror? What a stunningly accurate impression. Great job!

mila on
01/15/2013:

Morgan, your handmade pieces are beautiful designed, photographed and just as beautifully crafted regardless of how the pieces are priced (imo—reasonably!). There will always be people who feel they must comment in a way that isn’t constructive. That’s ok. It’s still (somewhat) a free country, thankfully. The takeaway here is that it’s important that we allow others the freedom to say what they wish…good or bad.

So what if someone wants the blog to be ‘thrifty’ posts and another person doesn’t like it when you sell your finds for a bit of profit? So what? They’ve given their opinions. fine.

Know that you have too many talented and creative friends/collaborators/admirers who value, admire and support who you are and what you do, so keep doing it!

Christian on
01/15/2013:

I’ve been waiting to see the shop! So excited!

Everything is so perfect. I’ll have to find a spot for the Simple Pendant now because I want it!

Kara on
01/15/2013:

One thing I like to see on an independent shops site is an “About” section. I like to know who I am dealing with and that they are a real person and not some faceless corporation, or factory in China. I have a lot of customers that pick my shop because of my story (and a picture of my dogs) on my website. It’s not a particularly thrilling story, but they like to know who they are giving their money to.

It is always shocking to me what people are willing to say to others on the internet – there have been a lot of very positive comments on here, but certainly some rude responses as well. I just wanted to take a moment and say that as a long time reader I think it is AMAZING that you are opening your own shop and what you have come up with is really incredible.

I am not rolling in the dough, by any means but I would be more than happy to save up some money and purchase any and everything from your shop because they are beautifully designed and am sure they are expertly made.

Some people suck – I hope you can ignore any unsupportive and rude individuals on here because, Morgan, you are totally kick-ass, hilarious, and someone who has easily one of the best eyes for design out there. Congratulations to you and I hope that what you walk away from these comments with is the sense of encouragement and excitment about your new venture.

Erin on
01/15/2013:

It’s exciting to see a shop open from The Brick House! With handmade stuff! I’m a long time lurker and, like many of your readers, I appreciate your taste for aesthetics. This seems like a natural progression.

As far as online shopping, I’ll echo the other comments: minimal waste packaging and polyfill options for the pillows (I too like a ready-to-use product).

Man…I am knee deep in this same process – opening a big cartel shop and hoping to make my way into the SoCal flea markets – we might even be competitors as I am a pillow making machine as well ;), although I do ottomans and chairs too. Alas, I am still in beginning stages, graphic design and branding. It seems every step I take leads to a new problem that needs to be addressed – keep posting your tips and tricks, its inspiring – and I love your work! Good Luck!

Hannah on
01/15/2013:

Morgan, I fucking love your blog and the CAMP stuff. It is totally awesome, and I am hugely grateful for the hours and hours of free blogging entertainment you have given me over the years. And once CAMP opens, if you decide to do international shipping (I’m in the UK) I would love love love to have one of your beautifully and thoughtfully designed and created pieces in my house.

I am someone with some time and some money, it depends on the thing and how busy I am as to what I’ll pay. But this stuff at those prices is a no brainier. What other people don’t realise either is that your target customer doesn’t have to be yourself – like you said, you have time and you’re selling to people with money.

Whatever, your stuff is great so screw ‘em.

When I order online I like packaging that I could at least reuse to avoid waste – I want it to arrive in nice condition, but would like to have some option to either recycle or reuse. I also like a good quality business card. It’s a bit weird, but it feels like a nice gesture and often I pass them on to friends when I recommend things. Finally, it’s good to have good contact on shipping, especially for an international order.

Good luck, can’t wait to see how it all goes for you.

Rebecca on
01/15/2013:

I am always so excited when I see you’ve posted something new. I’d appreciate it if you kept blogging, cuz I dig you, but man, I get it. My skin is way too thin to blog.

Jessie on
01/15/2013:

Variety in pricing is always a plus for me. While I can’t currently justify spending over $100 on a pillow (no matter how amazing it looks) I can save some pennies for a $35 everyday necklace.

It all looks amazing. Please keep up the blogging. Please?

Liz on
01/15/2013:

I remember when I first came across your site a couple years ago. Blog Xanadu!!!

Thank you for exposing me to good taste and what good design can look like in everyday life, and for inspiring me to be better at my own house. And for all the lolz!

Just want to add, a bit out of scope, that I think you did a great job in sharing your experiences and style over the years. You’ve grown into a forepost of mid-century interiors. What you publish, obviously inspires lots of people, since you see similar posts popping up all over the globe. In fact, what I would like to see in blogging-land is if people would take the inspiration from your blog a step further, by investing in locally produced mid-century design. Sometimes I read a European blog which could just as easy be an American blog. The American mid-century designers are great, but it can be really hard to get a good quality piece here in Europe, while there is a world of good design available, for example from Scandinavian, Dutch or Italian designers. And why not pay tribute to the local heroes (says the person who just paid way too much for an Eames shell :))?

Again, for me personally, the prize for a pendant or a pillow is a bit more than I choose to spend (but by no means unreasonable!), but I want to thank you for the inspiration you are bringing. It’s obvious that you put lots of time and energy in this, and that comes with a prize. Hey, and since you have a talent and have invested in developing that talent, I think you are totally allowed to try and make your living out of it :).

Mike on
01/16/2013:

Hey Morgan,

Congrats on surviving another holiday season (oh, wait a minute, Valentine’s Day in a month) Holy shit. At least Valentine’s day has some advantages.

Advantages= time with a hot woman + a good dinner x V-day nookie if you can keep your head out of your ass.

Hope that you don’t get the flu. I’ve got it and feel like a rodeo clown in Pamplona during the running of the bulls. ¿Cómo se dice “hot mess” en español?

Tamoto on
01/16/2013:

I just recently purchased a small service based business. Pricing is SUPER hard! You want to respect your time and effort, but you pray you can find a market to support that.
either the lamps and pillows will fly of the shelves so you cant keep up-(priced low) or they will gather dust (too high). or hopefully you strike it somewhere in between. Encouraging or discouraging comments on a blog dont change that.
And California taxes are kinda crazy.
Best of luck Morgan your shop is lovely.

Carls on
01/16/2013:

As someone with more time than money, I have only bought beautiful, expensive (for me) things from small vendors like you a handful of times. The first time I placed an order with a small vendor, I couldn’t figure out if I had actually placed the order or not… I was like checking my bank statement. No email, no nothing. I really liked what I bought, and I stayed laid back about the whole thing- no big deal, small business, great stuff, etc… But I have to admit I was hesitant to buy a second time because it just seemed like kind of a hassle. I have also bought shoes from a small vendor that took 4 months to arrive. I literally had to email the seller and remind her about me. She was like, “Oh yeah…” !! But it all turned out great in the end and I actually just bought a second pair. I think you’ll find in general that your customers will be very forgiving and understanding just because of the nature of the demographic that wants to buy something well-designed, beautiful, and from a small business owner. However, I echo what I’ve already read in the comments. Good communication makes everyone feel better. It’s also good to be able to return items if there’s something wrong/ they just won’t work. I’m a lot more likely to take a risk on buying something home related if I can rationalize that I can always return it if it doesn’t work. And then a lot of the time I don’t, even if it’s not perfect. And I’m poor! I have the time!

reva on
01/17/2013:

I wanteeeeee those neclaces. Both of them.

Tess on
01/17/2013:

I originally agreed with the first comment. When I read your post about opening a store I was hyped to see the products- until I saw the price of the pillows. It was just a pretty huge shock for me to see such high prices (in my perspective) for pillows when your blog has a long running under current of buying awesome things on the cheap. For me the pricing shouted hypocrisy.

After reading through the comments though, my opinion has definitely tempered. I just think it might be a little less galvanizing for some readers if you included a discussion of the rationale behind those particular prices initially, instead of allowing people to make assumptions based on the contradiction between your own personal purchasing philosophies and those you seem to be applying to your customers.

mary s. on
01/17/2013:

I’m confused..I thought Morgan was known for not spending more than $100 on vintage and thrifted and craigslist items? Why the fuss about her pricing of new, handmade items? I believe that she would be thrilled if one of us found her pillows at a consignment shop years from now and only paid $5 for them! Well, maybe and maybe not.

Also, if vintage items are sold and marked up in price-so be it..don’t buy it! I say, “hooray, Morgan” Thanks for teaching me what to look for so that I too can find a “this or that” for pennies and sell it on ebay or etsy to a person more than happy to spend the cash. Go thrifting..stop complaining..and keep supporting someone who has brought us laughter, great advice on design and cute dog pics!

I don’t get it… the prices are totally reasonable compared to what you’d pay at West Elm or CB2 and this shit is handmade by an independent person (whose blog we all read so therefore we should WANT to support.) Haters gonna hate I guess.

Speaking of hate… I hate paying for shipping so hopefully you can figure out a way to keep those costs down… even if it means padding the price of the items a bit more to cover that cost. Otherwise, I like buying stuff from small retailers and people I like. I want a simple light!

What a great idea! Finding the right accent pillow is so hard, and I love all the new Native American inspired fabrics out there. But making it yourself always feels way cooler. Good luck with your store. I know it will be great, like your blog.

CT Design on
01/24/2013:

I’d just like to say thanks for all the free design knowledge that you share – for free – with all of us – for free. Did I mention its free? FREE. So if I have to pay more for one of your pillows, I will b/c I’ve learned a lot from your blog over the years – for free. If I can’t afford it, then I will be grateful that you passed on your ideas and DIY know-how – for free – so I can make one myself.

As a designer I find it really insulting when people think they should pay Chinese-factory pricing for something designed by a talented individual. There is a value associated with your products, and it is not equal to the cost of the materials alone.

L on
01/25/2013:

As a stitcher (of custom-designed clothing, costumes, and home goods) myself, I totally get the price of the pillows! Has anyone looked at the base cost of 20×20 down inserts lately? And the fabrics are gorgeous!!! The jewelry and light fixtures are lovely and reasonable as well.

That said, I have the time, and resources (though not, *sigh*, the SoCA thrift store fabric sources) to make my own. Doesn’t mean Morgan shouldn’t be paid for her work.

Have at it, and best of luck in your new venture. Oh, and your website is excellent!

THE BRICK HOUSE on
01/28/2013:

I think I’m going to include the domestic shipping rates in the total cost and not have folks pay shipping charges on top of the retail cost as a separate charge. I know I hate extra shipping charges that come later in the checkout process, even if they are totally reasonable.

Also, I’d like to mention that the vintage Serapes I source are found via auction or online and are vintage / antique textiles from the 1920s- 50s. These are finely handwoven and beautifully made – not the cheap acrylic new ones you might have seen. So, these aren’t cheap for me to buy and I can typically sew about 3-4 pillows from each one – that’s why they are so pricey. I need to invest a lot of time and cash to create an incredibly small stock that can be sold. Each one is one of a kind. Occasionally, I buy blankets that arent what i hoped or arent good enough quality, so I nix them and lose that money and time. It’s a crap shoot and not reliable or consistent item to produce.

In this case, unlicensed contractors it is the market for an AC unit itself.
There should be left up to $150 per year. Finding a reliable asphalt contractor, too?

Their fees should really pick the best, and dangers posed to
them, so that you can get an estimate. O’Green managed to explain to you about twice
as much from those needs of thier loved ones.
Angie’s Record score You want a find someone who can compete.